Stasis Quo
by ScribeOfRhapsody
Summary: Noct is tired. Noct is stressed. Prompto tried to help. Now EVERYONE is stressed.


Noct looked horrible. Like, he'd been looking kinda draggy the last few days, but now he looked _super_ draggy. Like I-would-think-you-were-on-drugs-if-I-didn't-know-better draggy. And moody. Like, grumpier than usual, more slouchy, more quiet, and he even had those dark circles under his eyes – something Prompto had been sure was a movie myth until he'd gotten to know the Prince of Naps.

He didn't want to talk about whatever it was. That he'd made sparkly crystal clear. But Prompto just couldn't seem to get him to cheer up with his usual jokes.

Noct needed something else. Something fun and not royal and not stressful.

Prompto didn't know Ignis all that well yet, but he _had_ figured out that Ignis was Noct's Acting Mum™ and made sure he was happy and healthy. That had to mean that Ignis noticed Noct's moods too and maaaaybe he could get him in on a cheer up plan.

And he did. After much nervous stuttering, he got out enough words for Ignis to understand his plan and agree. Which was… wow, okay, yeah, he was pretty surprised Ignis had agreed so easily. But if Noct was this bad _at_ school, he could only imagine what Ignis was having to put up with daily. Poor dude was probably desperate for a solution.

"There will have to be precautions, of course, but I'll see what I can do about keeping them to the minimum. Noct's mood will no doubt be only worsened by a number of Glaive hovering around him."

Yeah. That alone told Prompto that he was right. Not a single word about wasted time or unnecessary risks or Noct having other responsibilities that took priority. Desperate.

And so Operation Cheer Up Noct commenced.

Prompto had to admit that he was selfishly a little excited for himself too. After all, they'd been trying to get permission to go to this arcade for, like, ten years. But it was always _it's too far_, _security would be hard_, or _you already have an arcade close by_, and no one cared that the one nearby was way smaller and had none of the new games Prompto and Noct wanted to try out. Prompto got the security concerns, really, but… argh. It had still been frustrating.

Until now. Now – because Ignis was a magic worker and had apparently talked directly to the King about everything going on – they were finally getting to go and they wouldn't even have to take half a battalion of Glaive. They just had to have Ignis and Gladio shadowing them.

Hell yeah.

It was clear Gladio wasn't happy and Ignis was wary, but they both played along as Noct and Prompto piled into the car after school.

It took Noct a while to notice something was up. He finished buckling his seatbelt and setting his bag aside before he even realized that there was a fourth person in the car.

He blinked slowly. "Gladio? What are you doing here?"

"Stuff," Gladio answered gruffly, crossing his arms.

"There are some stops that need to be made before I take you home today, Noct." Ignis adjusted his mirror.

A look of pure reluctance and dismay flashed over Noct's face for a second before he dropped his head against the window. "Whatever. Wake me when we get there."

…Had he even acknowledged that Prompto had gotten in the car with them instead of heading off like he always did unless they had plans? Well… at least he didn't suspect anything. And he was out like a light. No way he'd realize where they were headed.

They rode in silence for a while, Noct snoozing away.

"Has he seriously been like this nonstop for you guys too?" Gladio asked after a while.

Ignis grunted. "He's been more difficult than ever to rouse in the mornings, and yet he's been going to bed early."

"He's barely awake in class," Prompto supplied. "What's he doing with you, Big Guy?"

He direly hoped that nickname was okay with Noct's mountain of a bodyguard.

Gladio gave an irritated growl that thankfully wasn't directed at Prompto. "Hell to train. He was excited about really getting to practice his magic about a week ago, but two days in it was like he decided to call it quits on giving any effort." He glanced at Ignis. "He having nightmares again?"

Ignis' brow furrowed. "The thought had crossed my mind, but I don't believe so."

"Nightmares?" Prompto wondered. Noct got nightmares?

"You were likely too young to remember the news reports at that time, but Noct was attacked by a daemon as a child. The event left him troubled, to say the least, but it's been years since he's had serial nights of terror."

Oof. So, it wasn't that terrible thing Prompto didn't know about before either.

What gave, then?

* * *

"Up and at 'em, buddy! Time to slay!"

There. That should have been loud enough to break through even Noct's coma naps.

It was. But only just, it looked like, since Noct gave a muffled groan and blearily looked around.

"Where the hell are we?" he grumbled, apparently realizing they weren't at the Citadel.

"Uh, only the best place ever!" Prompto gestured at the nearby sign. "Surprise!"

Noct's eyes brightened a bit, and he shot up until his posture was actually proper for the first time in days. "Are you serious? Wha…" His jaw hung open as he looked to Ignis and then Gladio.

"Well, then." Ignis shut off the car. "We only have so long. Best you two get started. Don't mind us."

"Uh… right!" Noct quickly undid his seatbelt and fumbled with the door before getting out of the car.

That was more like it.

"All right, let's get this over with," Gladio grumbled, opening his own door.

* * *

Things went great for approximately, like, forty minutes. Noct was excited, they were playing new games and joking around, but then he just… ran out of steam again.

Prompto tried not to care when Noct totally got them killed in their next game, even if_ he _died inside a little.

Crap. This wasn't working as well as they'd hoped.

"Sorry," Noct muttered, kind of pathetically.

Gladio sighed, pushing off the nearby wall he'd been leaning against next to Ignis and walking over to them. "Alright, Princess, out with it."

"Huh?" Noct blinked at him, eyes barely halfway open.

"Noct, you look positively dreadful." Ignis walked over to them as well, crossing his arms. "This is well beyond your usual levels of drowsiness and your mood has been sullen for days. What's wrong?"

"Yeah, come on, buddy!" Prompto thwacked Noct's back. "You can tell us!"

"I don't _know _what it is." Noct pressed a hand to his head. "It just started up after training a couple days ago…"

Ignis' eyes narrowed. "Your _magic_ training?"

"Yeah, why?" Noct asked.

"I could be wrong, but…" He tapped a finger to his chin. "Is your magic more uncooperative now than it was when you first started?"

"Definitely," Gladio answered. "He seemed natural at it a few days back, but last time he could barely summon his sword to hand. Why, are you thinking– oh…"

Ignis hummed, nodding.

"What? What is it?" Noct said crossly.

"Stasis, I suspect."

"Oh…" Noct echoed Gladio from just a few seconds ago.

"Sta-wha?" Prompto said blankly.

"It's a condition that those using the magic of the Crystal can fall victim to via overuse of their abilities," Ignis explained. "Noct, your magic is still very undeveloped. You very well could have pushed beyond your current limits."

"So… what can we do about it?" Prompto bounced on his toes a little.

"Well, seeing as none of us are carrying a magical means of restoring his strength, I would recommend a bite to eat and then a visit to the Citadel." Ignis held up a hand as Noct opened his mouth in obvious protest. "I will make certain we can return here another time when you're feeling better."

Noct's shoulders slumped slightly again. "Thanks, Iggy."

* * *

Noct was looking less thankful when he saw where they were going to eat, and Prompto could definitely see why. Ignis treating them to a visit to an expensive and healthy fast food restaurant with cash supplied by the King sounded pretty awesome to him, but it wasn't exactly Noct's idea of a good time.

"Nutrients, Noct," Ignis said pointedly, gesturing to the menu that hung above the counter. "That is precisely what your body needs at the moment."

Noct sulked, leaning heavily on the line dividers that led up to the counter. At least there was no one else behind them that they were holding up with how late it was getting. There were only a couple other groups of people already at tables right now.

Eventually, Ignis ordered something for him, and they took their food to one of the booths.

Prompto wasn't sure how much nutrition Noct was going to get from pushing things around on his plate, but the rest of them were enjoying themselves. Prompto was done already, actually. He was just doodling on a napkin to kill time.

"Noct, eat the damn food," Gladio snapped after a while.

Noct just shot him a dirty look in return.

And that was exactly when things went to hell.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, man, come on!"

The clear distress in the cashier's voice had all of them swiveling around or leaning to see what the commotion was at the counter.

A jolt of terror shot up Prompto's spine as he spotted the customer with a gun pointed at the cashier.

Oh, shit. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Prompto had always known hanging out with Noct was dangerous, but he was so not prepared for this now.

He was fifteen, he was totally not cut out for this kind of thing.

"I ain't playing here – hand over the cash!" the gun-guy demanded. And crap, he had a friend with him.

"_Down,_" Gladio hissed, yanking Noct lower in his seat by his collar and turning his mountain body to better shield Noct from view.

Ignis likewise turned so he was shielding Prompto, and Prompto was suddenly very glad that he was the first in the booth and had a wall on one side of him and an Ignis on the other. This felt safe-ish.

"No one move," Ignis said lowly, reaching into his pocket. "We're unarmed with Noct weakened as he is, but if they get what they came for, they may very well leave without harm coming to anyone."

"R-right." Noct's eyes were wide, and Prompto barely heard him over the hammering of his own heart.

"The Crownsguard?" Gladio asked.

Ignis removed his hand from his pocket. "On their way shortly."

Oh, sweet. Emergency call for help to the Crownsguard? That was neat. And horrible that they needed it.

"Oh, don't give me that shit! This place charges way too much for this to be all you have!"

Crap, crap, crap, the first dude did not sound happy.

"W-we don't keep that much on hand."

"Son of a bitch." He gestured in their direction to his buddy. "Check the customers!"

Prompto could feel Ignis tense further beside him, his gaze flitting to the door, and then to Gladio.

Gladio nodded very slightly.

"Ignis,_ no,_" Noct hissed.

"Be ready if needed," was all Ignis said in return.

The second gun dude arrived at their table, a bag in his free hand. "You know the drill."

Prompto dropped the pencil that had still been in his hand as he fumbled for his wallet. Normally, he'd be worried about how he was going to eat until his parents sent him more money, but being able to eat wouldn't help him if he got shot.

He all but threw his wallet into the bag, and Ignis and Gladio followed suit. Noct was trying to get his out of his pocket without raising his head, Prompto could tell, but it didn't look like he could see what he was doing all that well.

"Come on!" the dude snapped.

Noct flinched, glancing up for barely more than half a second and finally managing to get his wallet out to toss it in the bag.

The dude frowned, which Prompto could only just see with the hoodie the dude had pulled up over his head.

_Goodbye, communication with everyone,_ Prompto told himself as he dumped his phone in too.

The dude was still focusing on Noct.

"Don't I know–"

Ignis shot out of his chair, barreling into the man as Gladio hauled Noct out of the booth and headed for the door. Prompto dropped, hitting the ground under the table and painfully jabbing his hand into something.

Oh, look. His pencil was stabbing into his palm.

He flinched again, smacking the top of his head on the underside of the table as a gunshot went off.

"_Gladio!_" Noct cried.

"Go, Noct!" Ignis yelled, his attention from his fight broken just long enough for his opponent to get the upper hand and punch him in the face, making him crumple to the floor, unconscious. His glasses were broken a few feet away.

The dude was grabbing his gun back up from the floor.

Prompto didn't think. He just acted – snagging his pencil off the ground and throwing himself forwards to stab the guy in the leg with it.

The guy screamed, kicking him away with his other foot, and, amidst the haze of his blurred vision, Prompto saw Noct slip out the door.

Hah.

Except Gladio wasn't with him. Gladio was on the floor, hands clutching at his stomach.

Oh, shit. Gladio had been shot. He'd really been shot. And Ignis was out.

…At least Noct was safe.

"That was the damned Prince!" the thug with the pencil in his leg yelled. "We gotta get out of here!"

"Shit!" The first guy twisted the bag he was carrying shut. "Come on!"

Prompto's head was still reeling as he watched them flee.

They were gone. They were gone, _theyweregone. _

But Noct was out there. And Gladio_ was bleeding all over the floor–_

Prompto gagged, trying to swallow his nausea.

Noct was still in trouble.

"P-Prompto," Gladio rasped, one bloody hand moving from his stomach to point.

One of the men had dropped his gun in the fight with Ignis.

Prompto's hands shook as he snagged the gun from the floor.

He didn't know squat about gunshots. He couldn't help Gladio. But he'd always been pretty good at those point-and-shoot games.

"Someone call for help!" Prompto yelled, hoping one of the customers would listen, as he forced the blobs of jelly that were his legs to carry him out the door in the last direction he wanted to go.

Somehow, the streets looked less friendly than before. More eerie. But that might have had something to do with the screaming.

Prompto veered right into an alleyway, following the noise.

It looked like Noct had managed to get the better of the dude with the pencil in his leg, because he was down on the ground, clutching his side, and Noct and the last dude faced each other down.

Noct looked even worse than before, eyes barely open at all and his whole body looking ready to cave as a sword wavered in his grip.

Crap, crap, crap. He must have had to summon it to defend himself, and now he was even worse off than before.

The last thug standing had a gun pointing at him.

"Hey!" Prompto barked, wishing that his voice was steadier. "Drop it!"

The guy snapped his head around to look at Prompto, but his gun was still pointed at Noct.

The guy's expression flashed. "You ain't got the guts, kid–"

Noct hurled his sword, vanishing and reappearing in a perfect strike just like the ones Prompto had seen the Glaives on TV use. The sword went through the guy's shoulder, taking him to the ground as the gun sailed across the alleyway and tumbled to the ground harmlessly.

Noct punched the guy in the face. Then again. Then again. And again.

"Noct, buddy…" Prompto let the gun in his own hands fall to the ground. "I think he's out…"

Noct landed two more punches, chest heaving and arms shaking by the time he stopped.

The guy was definitely unconscious.

Prompto stumbled over to them. "Y-you okay?" He helped Noct stand up by tugging on his arm and pulling him away from the dude.

"Yeah…" Noct said breathlessly. "Yeah, I'm…" He drifted off as his legs caved and he collapsed.

"Oof." Prompto nearly fell over as Noct's full weight landed on him. He was no Gladio, but that training sure was showing right now. He had muscle, all right.

Gladio.

Oh, man. Prompto shifted Noct's weight around and started hauling him back to the restaurant – a walk that seemed much longer than it had on the way there, but he did it.

He dragged Noct through the doors, his back shoving the door open.

"Prompto… Noct!" Ignis' voice was a huge relief.

It was less of a relief when Prompto finally let Noct sink the rest of the way to the floor and turned around.

There was that pressure in his throat again, threatening to send his meal back up.

Gladio was in a_ pool _of blood now, groaning and twisting as Ignis' hands pressed on his wound.

"Prompto, how is Noct?" Ignis asked, squinting with his glasses off. He had a gash on his head and his arms were soaked with blood up past his wrists. "_Prompto._"

Prompto startled. "H-he's fine! I think he just passed out 'cus he had to use his magic."

Ignis looked visibly relieved, and he immediately turned his full attention back to Gladio. "Hang on, Gladio, it won't be that much longer."

The cashier from before burst out of the back room, a bunch of towels in his arms. "Here!"

Prompto sank into a booth as Ignis set to work on trying to save Gladio. He knew he should probably be helping, but… He couldn't. His whole body was shaking now, especially his hands.

Six, he felt lightheaded. He was probably going to be the next person to pass out.

"Kid? Hey, kid, look at me. I need you to breathe with me, okay? Slow it down."

Huh?

Oh. Maybe he was breathing a little fast.

Wait.

Who was talking?

There was a blob in front of him. A black blob.

He tried to follow the blob's instructions. Breathe. Breathing was good.

The blob slowly began to take shape in front of him until he realized it was a guy in a Crownsguard uniform.

Oh man, he'd zoned out big time. The Crownsguard were here? Where was Gladio? Where was Ignis? Noct? Were they all okay?

He tried to stay calm as he looked around the restaurant again. Gladio had been loaded onto a stretcher and was being moved, and someone else had Ignis seated off to the side as they shined a light into one of his eyes.

The Guard in front of Prompto stood long enough to lay a blanket over his shoulders.

Prompto pulled the blanket close instantly.

Thank the Astrals.

It was over…

* * *

Gladio was going to be hospitalized for a while. Ignis probably too since he had a concussion. Noct was being forced to stay since they needed to monitor how bad his… Stasis thing had been.

That left Prompto as the only one who _could_ go home. But he wasn't going to.

Turned out, Noct's dad was super nice and cool and was paying for Prompto to get care and stuff since Prompto had "saved" Noct. Prompto was pretty sure Gladio, Ignis, and _Noct_ had saved Noct more than him, but he really didn't want to go home and be alone, so he was taking the offer.

Weirdly enough, he was hanging out with Ignis the most. Gladio was the one really hurt and Noct had a thousand people buzzing around him, so he and Ignis had kind of fallen together by default.

"You did very well, you know," Ignis said randomly on the third day.

Prompto ducked his head, looking at the floor. "Uh, thanks. I kind of freaked out there at the end, though."

Ignis hit him with a look. "You're fifteen and were thrown into a life-or-death situation – I'd have been rather surprised if shock hadn't overtaken you at _some_ point. I only hope that this does not… create problems for you and Noct."

"Hm?" Problems?

Ignis hummed. "It can be a dangerous undertaking to be friends with royalty, as you just experienced very intimately. But I hope your friendship continues. Noct has benefited greatly from his time around you, and I'm not just referring to your efforts the other night."

Benefited? From him? "Eheh… Well, no worries! I'm not going anywhere, dude."

So what if it was dangerous? Never stopped them.

He just hoped that would never happen again. But if it did…

Next time, he was going to make sure he was ready. Just in case they needed him again.

"So… what does one have to do around here to get Crownsguard training?"


End file.
